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# - PRESQUE AERO DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION



# INTREPID INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES

Essential Air Service Bid for ALPENA, MICHIGAN Docket: DOT-OST-2009-0300

submitted December, 2011



## APN



## G R R ._________.LAN ' C'_,£)

IThank you once again for the opportunity to bid onthe requested essential air service for your community. As you probably recall from the previous submission to the initial Request for Proposals, we had made a bid to provide service four days a week, using a 19 seat aircraft. One other airline had bid and they had also proposed utilizing a 19 seat aircraft, only they offered service 18 times a week with service to Cleveland. Both ofour bids must have proven inadequate to the service you had hoped for, as another RFP was circulated to try to find a suitable solution for your community. Now, with time to analyze bothofthe prospective bids and your community comments, I hope you find ourcurrent proposal to be exactly what you are looking for. The service we propose to deliver would still utilize a Jetstream 19 seat turbo-prop aircraft which has an onboard lavatory. In so much as ourbeliefthat this particular aircraft would service your area and be well suited to meet both the weather conditions and field characteristics quite handily. However, we have recalculated your desired for frequency ofservice and are confidentthat we can deliver accommodations to destinations that will connectAlpena with far flung destinations around the globe. We respectfully submit ourplanto include service five days a week (Monday- Friday), with the flight originating in Alpena to Lansing, to Grand Rapids, to Alpena, to Grand Rapids, to Lansing, to Alpena. Thereby, having 2 departures per day and 2 arrivals per day, for a total of20 flights per week. Itshould also be noted thatboth GrandRapids and Lansing have their ownunique appeal to travelers as destinations ofentertainment, industry, financial and government, as well as, offer a variety ofconvention and meeting space options. And, both cities offervery in-expensive, yet noteworthy public transportation systems connecting the airports directly to the central business districts andbeyond. In addition, both offer connections to an array ofconnection variations to chose from, for instance; in GrandRapids passengers could connectto the United/Continental, Frontier/Republic, Air Canada, Delta, Allegiant, American or, theAirTran/Southwest systems. Where Lansing connections include; Sun Country, Delta andUnited Express. The provisional request for this service would be for $3,024,000. usd per year. For a period not to exceed 2 years. We would also like you to consider the fact that we hope to keep ourfare to be comparable to that oftaking the bus, or, at aroundunder $50. per leg, as the full, walkup fare.At this point ofourbid we would like to take exception to several notions regarding our service, as suggested in the reply to ourprevious EAS proposal. First, we are, (PADF) a non profit organization, dedicate to the advocacy ofairtravel. And, although we are not operating under the authority as an FAA/DOT certified air carrier, ourorganization wouldbe under contract to a fully authorized air carrier, who is subject to all safety, staffing, insurance and maintenance stipulations, subject to any other certified air carrier, to provide the aforementioned service. And, that we would operate under the rules ofa 380 operation. Also, that underthese rules and regulations, no funds can be transferred until service is rendered for a particular flight.Ourbasic business structure would be that ofan employee stock ownership plan, (ESOP). Second, we have connected with the local FBO, Aviation Express/Brad Shrinerto provide fuel inAlpena, so any savings, as prices may fluctuate during the course ofthis contract, could be passed along directly to the passengers, viareduced fares. Thirdly, although we do nothave any Code ShareAgreements in place with other airlines, one ofthe divisions ofour corporate structure is a certified VAX TravelAgency, so we do not anticipate any majordifficulties for ourpassengers to be given expedited connection assistance at the airports, to speedthem onto any subsequent carrier and make it as seem less as possible to make it onto their next plane. This may hold a particular and humorous interestto many ofyou, who may have started their own businesses and come to realize the difficulties associated with the saying, "you can't get onthe track without a trackrecord and you can't get a trackrecord without getting on the track". Fourth, we would be employing local workers at each ofourdestination cities, who could provide local insightto passengers wishing to know more about where they have justlanded. And finally, we are the only Michigan vendor bidding onthis contract and, as such, we have made arrangements to keep as much ofthe discretionarybudget atplay, right here in the State, with advertising allotments for Charter and Comcast Cable, to advertise in and for the communities we serve. This concludes ourbid for theAlpenaEssentialAir Service Request for Proposals. RickEyk PresqueAero Development Foundation 

### I Intrepid InternationalAirlines 1356 Vineland Ct. S.E. Grand Rapids, Michigan 49508 phone: 616-459-3696 email: rick-eyk@sbcglobal.net